Publisher's Notebook

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EDITOR'S NOTE: To strengthen relationships between Detroit's African-American and Jewish communities,

Michigan Chronicle Senior Editor/Executive Editor Bankole Thompson and Jewish News Publisher Arthur Horwitz

will be writing periodically in each other's publications. They will focus on issues and ideas that are meant to
inform and educate each other's readership. The idea evolved from a series of conversations between Thompson
and Horwitz about ways to expand regional cooperation. The Michigan Chronicle circulates approximately
32,000 copies weekly and has more than 100,000 readers.
Here is Horwitz's column for the March 19, 2009, edition of the Michigan Chronicle.

Unshackle Our Young Adults

0

ccasionally, I am approached by bright-eyed 20-
somethings from the Jewish community eager to
share their desire to move into Detroit, roll up their
sleeves and contribute in some small way to the revitalization
of a city they know mostly from afar — north of Eight Mile
Road.
I typically ask them one question that bursts their bubble
of enthusiasm. "Why do you think
Detroiters want you in their city?"
Their replies tend to be along the lines
of, "Well, I just assumed ..."
It would be
easy, at this point,
to mention recent
comments and
actions by mem-
bers of the Detroit
Arthur M.
City Council that
Horwitz
reaffirm why
Publisher
these 20-some-
things continue
to make wrong assumptions. Instead of
wanting to be a part of "the solution,"
they continue to be seen as part of "the
problem."
Rather, I'd like to share some thoughts
that are more biblical in nature.
With the festive holiday of freedom,
Passover, starting at sundown on April
8, Jewish families will retell the story of
the Exodus from Egypt — from slavery
to freedom — with each generation at
the seder table — from infant to great-
grandparent — being implored to imag-
ine as if they, too, had just been liberated.
We learn that Moses and the Israelites wandered in the des-
ert for 40 years. On the surface, it appears that the Almighty's
global positioning device malfunctioned, since maps show
there were much quicker routes to the Promised Land.
However, we are instructed that the 40-year wandering was
part of the Almighty's plan to have the generations born into
slavery — and continuing to carry its baggage — pass away
so those entering the Promised Land could do so as (mostly)
free men and women.
In 1967 — just over 40 years ago — Detroit was devastated
by riots. While some of the Jewish community's most distin-
guished leaders, including Max Fisher, remained steadfast
in their commitment to the city, most of what remained of
Detroit's Jewish community moved to Southeastern Oakland
County. To this day, some who lived through the upheaval of
1967 will not venture south of Eight Mile Road.

The generations of the Jewish community who were born
and raised in Detroit are passing away.
In their place are the bright-eyed 20-somethings who
have heard tales of Jewish Detroit from parents and
grandparents, but don't carry their emotional baggage
and biases. To them, Detroit is a promised land of pos-
sibilities where their energy and desire to do tikkun olam,
to repair the world, can be implemented nearby. They are
looking to the future.
The generations of African-Americans who lived through
the 1967 Detroit riots are also passing away.
In their place are a rising generation
of 20-somethings who care deeply about
Detroit, who want a quality education for
its children, who want safe streets, who
want to provide father-like mentoring for
its sons and daughters, who understand
that we in this region — whether we like
it or not — have a shared destiny. While
aware of the past they, too, are looking to
the future.
When President Obama recently dis-
cussed the menacing challenge countries
like Iran pose to world peace, he point-
edly commented that if they "are willing
to unclench their fist, they will find an
extended hand from us:'
The massive fist of Joe Lewis that greets
all southbound Lodge motorists when
they emerge from the underbelly of dilapi-
dated Cobo Hall and into the sunlight of
Jefferson Avenue is a compelling tribute
to an American icon. It is also a reminder
that for our city and region to survive and
prosper, the hands have to be open and
extended from both sides of Eight Mile Road.
Let's encourage the 20-somethings in our Jewish and
African-American communities — the generation that
didn't have to wander for 40 years in our local desert — to
step forward with passion and mutual respect and to create
a new mindset where the past informs but doesn't suffocate
our collective future. We must not dull the glimmer in their
eyes. E

The massive fist
of Joe Lewis is a
reminder that for
our city and region
to survive and
prosper, the hands
have to be open and
extended from both
sides of Eight Mile
Road.

0 :
I— IX •

What can the Jewish community do to
bridge the racial divide?

p

Z z

30
a. 0-

Are there Passover moments to share
with African Americans?

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